E-pass made mandatory for Ooty visit; Hill station temperature reaches 29°C

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has imposed an E-pass for vehicles from May 7 to June 30 in Ooty and Kodaikanal, minding the flooding of tourists into these hill stations. The court order was on a PIL that pointed out the environmental damages caused in these tourist destinations due to the uncontrolled rush.

The traffic snarl in the hairpin towards Ooty has gotten worse with people unable to reach the hospital on time during emergencies. During summer, up to 20,000 vehicles reach Ooty daily. It is up to the Nilgiri and Dindugal district administrations to issue the e-pass required for travelling.

The court also decided to examine the possibility of introducing online toll along with e-Pass to bring down the hours-long block at the check posts. Meanwhile, Ooty in recent days started experiencing mild heat with temperatures reaching 29 degrees Celsius. This is the first time after 1951 that the hill station has endured such heat.